sway bars

[andrew_the_newb]

As you can tell by my username I'm new to the RV world, just picked up our trailer yesterday not knowing anything about towing a trailer this size down the road and it was a white knuckle ride to say the least. Started checking online and sounds like I need sway bars, any suggestions? The trailer is a 28' keystone springdale and I'm pulling it with our Chevy Tahoe. Please help.

[opnspaces]

You're length is fine, get a WDH and get camping. I promise you that after a month of camping you will be helping people figure out how much trailer to buy and what hitch to use to pull it.

[Tachdriver]

IMHO I wouldn't sell If you have a desire to use the TT, take your time to get the right equipment installed and set up, read the manuals to learn how to use the various appliances, youtube is a great source and if you have any friends how owns one (MH) they can help out too.

I wanted a TT for 20 years and knew nothing, I bought a 24' TT (27-28 full length) last year and knew nothing about how each of these systems work, the dealer ran me though a simple demo but after learning which button did which, I ended up learning from reading on forums and from others as well.

Not sure about the feed back here to sell it. You came to an RV forum to learn as I did and they are sending you back to tents? I learned how to winterize via youtube. I believe there some here that are out of touch as they may have owned an RV for many years and discount the fact they started out from scratch as well.

Hope you get it going and start using it!!!

[John_Wayne]

Tongue weight is usually figured as 10 -15 % of trailer weight so total weight of trailer was 6400 lbs. tongue weight is 640-960 lbs.

[bsinmich]

It is not too long. Just because some people can full time in a pop-up doesn't mean we all should. We have a 38' MH with 2 slides for just the 2 of us. We enjoy it and will keep it a few more years. It is not much different pulling a 25' TT than a 16' TT. You will have to take turns a little different but going down the road they are all about the same. The winterizing and other care is the same regardless of size.

[andrew_the_newb]

Well, as far as the size goes. I didn't know the length until I picked it up. My wife went and looked at it and decided to buy it. We do need somewhat of a bigger trailer for our kids, which is the main reason we got into this. I've been tenting it my whole life and we want to go camping again but with little kids it was either wait till their older or get a trailer.

[popupcamping]

andrew_the_newbe wrote:
I have to say, if this gets anymore confusing I might have to sell the trailer and go back to sleeping in the dirt with a sleeping bag. Please help, I just want to get the right/safe set-up so I can take my family camping.

without sounding mean, but I think selling this beast of a trailer is your best option. Way to big a trailer for your first experience. Not just setting it up but towing, backing up, winterizing, storing I think you are going to hate camping.

Why such a large trailer?

I think there are many options to camp other than "sleeping in the dirt".

[andrew_the_newb]

@ opnspaces, Thank you for your help. I'm glad someone can relate how overwhelming it is being a total newbie and having all these opinions come flying at you. I opened a new thread a couple days ago because when I tried to order a Equal-I-zer online from tweety's and it asked me the tongue weight which I didn't know and posted on here and now I'm getting more confusing feedback. Not sure if you caught it but I traded in my Tahoe for a chevy Silverado 1500 which I was told numerous times can tow roughly 9200-9500 lbs. I welcome you to the new thread "tongue weight" for your input and anyone else that reads this. I have to say, if this gets anymore confusing I might have to sell the trailer and go back to sleeping in the dirt with a sleeping bag. Please help, I just want to get the right/safe set-up so I can take my family camping.

[opnspaces]

Hey Andrew,
I figured I'd chime in as I just saw your post, it's hot here and I'm bored sitting on the computer cause I'm not going outside. So as Pitch said, I have no problem spending your money for you. Please do take that with a grain of salt as I'm just messing around and if I inadvertently offend, it is not intentional. 🙂 Everything below is just my opinion and I am not an expert so take my opinion as worth the price you paid for it. :B

I think you agree it's obvious that you need weight distribution and it can be daunting deciding what to buy. I remember 7 years ago being in your exact shoes and I ultimately made a decision on what to buy based on recommendations on this forum and I'm still happy with my decision. For the below I linked to pages at Tweety's RV. I've had good dealings with them in the past. I have also had good dealings with RV Wholesalers.com Link In fact that is where I bought my WDH back in 2005.

You can pretty much sum up bumper pull weight distribution/sway control into three categories.

Standard weight distribution (SWD). (approximately $280, no sway control)
I would liken standard weight distribution to the Ford Focus, Toyota Tercel, Honda Civic etc of the towing world. This is the hitch that most dealers will sell you and what probably 80% of the trailers on the road are being pulled with. It works and many people are happy with it.

Many dealers call the standard weight distribution hitch an equalizer which is a generic name. This should not be confused with the actual product name of Equal-i-zer which is a different type of hitch.
Here's a link to an example of Standard WD.
SWD link
But Standard WD does not include sway control and for your trailer size you'll need two of those. Here's a link to add on sway control.
Sway control
Sway control will cost you approximately $40 x 2 so $80. You will also need a hitch ball that's rated to pull more than the weight of the trailer. For simplicity I linked the same hitch ball on different sections below.
10,000 lb ball
All in all for SWD you're looking at
280 Hitch
80 Sway bars x 2
30 Ball
$390 Total

Then there is weight distribution with built in sway control. This class of hitch includes the Reese Dual Cam (straight Line), the Anderson No-Sway, the Equal-i-zer, and and a few others. These hitches are like your Honda Accord, the Toyota Camry and the Ford Taurus
Reese dual cam
Anderson No-Sway
Equal-i-zer

The three I linked are I think fairly on the same level with each other but with different strengths and weaknesses. I personally have an Equal-i-zer and one of it's major drawbacks is it's noisey at slow speeds if I don't keep it lubed; Also the hitch head is head is heavy to put in the receiver (~50lb). Its positive is that it's extremely easy to hook up and engage the weight distribution bars.
$490 Equal-i-zer with built in sway
$30 Ball
$520 Total

The third class of hitches is the ProPride 3P, Hensley Arrow and PullRite. These are like Cadillac, BMW, and Mercedes. Well maybe more like Mazerati, Ferrari, Lamborghini etc. 🙂
These hitches are around $2,500.
ProPride 3P
Hensley Arrow
PullRite
The ProPride, Hensley, and PullRite eliminate sway, but are out of my price range so I don't know too much about them. If you want to know more about the top of the line hitches there are many on this forum that can tell you about them.


The last thing you need is a brake controller. Most tow vehicles do not have a factory installed trailer brake controller and we have to buy and install an aftermarket unit. All brake controllers do two things,

• 1) They put on the trailer brakes when you step on the brakes in your tow vehicle.
• 2) They have an override that allows you to put on the trailer brakes without stepping on the brake pedal.

Again, as with hitches, there are a few different types of controllers and they work differently.

The least expensive is the time delayed controller. the time delayed controller applies a small amount of braking when you step on the brake pedal. The amount of braking then ramps up the longer you have your foot on the brakes. The time delayed controller is attractive because of the price. (~$60) But many people feel that the controller will fall short in the event of an emergency (panic) stop as the brakes haven't yet ramped up to where you need them. Many people on this forum (myself included) will tell you to avoid a time based controller like the plague.
Time delayed
Plug and play connector to make hookup easier.

The second type of controller is the inertia or pendulum based controller. (~$120) With this type of controller the unit senses the tow vehicle slowing down and applies the trailer brakes to match. The braking match is not perfect, but it is fairly close. This is the type of controller that many people on this forum recommend, and they go so far as to favor the Prodigy P2 or Prodigy P3 controllers as a good bang for the buck. This doesn't mean they are the best controllers, just that they are what many on this forum prefers.
Prodigy P2
Plug and play connector to make hookup easier

The third type of controller is somehow physically tied into the braking system, often through a sensor mounted in the hydraulic braking lines. This controller is what is provided by the vehicle manufacturer and works the best of all three. There are a few aftermarket units that tie into your brake lines and I believe they are in the $500 range, but I can't think of their name right now.

[andrew_the_newb]

Thank You everyone for your help. Just a update, as of yet I have not purchased anything for my trailer though I do plan to. Definitely not going to take it on the road until I purchase a wdh. We did trade in our Tahoe for a Silverado ( longer wheel base ) not just for the trailer but a work truck as well. Sorry I haven't been getting back to your posts, been a busy 2 weeks. But thank you again everyone for the help.

[Mvander]

I got a curt wdh and single fricton bar for 350 shipped to my door. It works alright but may have made a different choice if id found this forum before i purchased. I also have a yukon and 26' tt.

[Ron3rd]

Roundtwo-40 wrote:
If you and your friend are mechanically inclined do it yourself (there are you tube videos that show you how) the one kicker is that the ball has to be torqued to 400+ footpounds.. (ie big air impact wrench or long cheater bar) and the socket is a tight fit (equalizer sells a turned down socket for 50+$) but some say they have been able to use a short socket or 1 3/4" and get it to work. Good Luck!

On edit: $900 for an installed Equalizer hitch??? OUCH..my 14k (biggest they sell) was $600 delivered (RVW)...talk about padding the labor..

X2 on installing the ball and finding the big 1-3/4" socket! A buddy of mine has a body shop so I took my EQ head over there and he torqued the ball for me.

BTW, you DO NOT need a thin wall socket as you can put the WD bars in the sockets and rotate them out of the way so a standard wall socket will work. When you're doing this of course, you will have the Hitch Head mounted on your hitch upside down. The hitch holds the Hitch Head so you can torque it. Sliding the Hitch Head into the hitch upside down makes it easy to get to the nut on the ball.

[Ron3rd]

andrew_the_newbe wrote:
Than you everybody for all your help, glad I signed up for this forum. Now, my next question is, I called a local RV lot to see what kind of weight distributing hitch they have and he said he doesn't stock them but orders them as needed and he can get me a EQUAL-I-ZER for $745 plus $150 install. My mechanic and good friend (also a rv'er) said I can order it and he'll install for me but he has a 5th wheel, never had to install before. Do I go with the over priced dealer or my mechanic?

You can get the Equalizer for under $500 with free shipping from several places. As I noted, I got mine from Tweetys, but there are plenty of other online suppliers. Any competent mechanic can easily install this hitch, provided they take the time to READ and UNDERSTAND the INSTRUCTIONS!

The EQ is a very simple design IMO just be aware you need several BIG sockets, along with a 1/2" drive Torque Wrench and the PROPER 2-5/16" ball with the PROPER length shank. This is all explained in the instructions and your mechanic friend should have the necessary tools.

To keep things simple, I ordered the Equilizer ball along with my hitch but you don't necessarily have to as other brands will work fine with the proper shank, etc. Your existing ball might even work if the shank is the proper length.

[Ron3rd]

Andrew,
It's good that you're asking all the right questions to arrive at a safe setup.

Yes, you need the WD Hitch and Brake Controller as noted above. Get a Hitch with "built in" sway control like the Equalizer or Reese Dual Cam. The Blue Ox Pro is also getting very good reviews on this site too. You can download instructions on all of them and see what's involved in setting them up. I went with the Equalizer for my new trailer because it was an easier setup on my type of trailer. I got mine for $495 from Tweetys with free shipping.

The purpose of the WD hitch is to return weight to your front axle that was removed when you lowered the trailer fully on the ball. You must return weight to the front axle or you will have a dangerous ride as you found out!

NOTE: Your WD bars must be properly sized for your weight of trailer too so check this out before buying. For instance they have 600, 800, 1,000 lb bars, etc, and even heavier, so get the right ones.

As to the brake controller, the Tekonsha line is very popular. I have their original Prodigy but they've got some newer ones now like the P2 and P2 with a few more bells and whistles. Along with the controller, get the Tekonsha pigtail for your Chevy and the install will be plug and play. The pigtails are around 12-15 bucks.

You MIGHT have to install a fuse or circuit breaker somewhere, but I don't know. Others with Chevys can advise here or check your manual. All of this is not too complicated and you should be able to do it yourself if you're handy and can follow instructions.

[Ex-Tech]

Andrew,
I sent you my phone number in a private message.
Call me. I work in the RV business and will be happy to help you out.
I can drop off a complete weight distributing hitch with a sway control when I pass through your town next week-end.